50-year trends in US socioeconomic inequalities in health: US-born Black and White Americans, 1959-2008.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Debates exist over whether health inequities are bound to rise as population health improves, due to health improving more quickly among the better off, with most analyses focused on mortality data.

Methods

We analysed 50 years of socioeconomic inequities in measured health status among US-born Black and White Americans, using data from the National Health Examination Surveys (NHES) I-III (1959-70), National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) I-III (1971-94) and NHANES 1999-2008.

Results

Absolute US socioeconomic health inequities for income percentile and education variously decreased (serum cholesterol; childhood height), stagnated [systolic blood pressure (SBP)], widened [body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC)] and in some cases r

SUBMITTER: Krieger N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4121555 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature